This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.
One of the Midwest’s most respected floral and interior design firms, founded in Westport in 1969 by Bob Trapp — a Kansas institution-builder who also created the world-famous Trapp Candles line from this shop’s basement.
Description
Trapp & Company is a Kansas City floral and interior design institution, founded in Westport in the fall of 1969 by Bob Trapp. Over 56 years the shop has grown from a single Westport storefront into one of the Midwest’s most recognized high-end floral studios, serving a clientele that has included ambassadors, presidents, and royalty. Its current location on Main Street keeps it in the heart of Kansas City’s midtown corridor.
Bob Trapp’s story is a small-town-to-big-city arc with deep Kansas roots. A native of Russell, Kansas, he swept floors at a local flower shop at age eleven and worked his way into design — by his own account, possibly becoming “the youngest designer in Sunflower State history.” After studying Classic Voice at Wichita State University, he came to Kansas City and honed his craft at the historic Liesveld’s flower shop before opening his own shop in Westport at the close of the 1960s. He has run the business continuously for more than five decades.
Beyond flowers, Trapp became an internationally recognized brand in fragrance when he invented the Trapp Candles and Scents line — now described as “world famous” — in the basement of the Kansas City shop. The candle line grew into a standalone product enterprise while the floral and interior design operation remained the heart of the Westport/midtown business.
Ownership and history
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| Age 11 | Bob Trapp begins work sweeping floors at a Russell, KS flower shop; teaches himself floral design |
| ~1960s | Studies Classic Voice at Wichita State University; moves to Kansas City |
| ~1960s | Works at Liesveld’s, Kansas City’s historic downtown florist, learning alongside KC floral greats |
| Fall 1969 | Opens Trapp & Company in Westport |
| ~1980s–90s | Invents Trapp Candles & Scents in shop basement; line grows to international distribution |
| 2026 | Active at 4110 Main St., Kansas City, MO; 56+ years continuous operation |
Links
- Official site: https://trappflowers.com/
- Secondary site: https://trappandcompany.com/
Sources
Disputes
None at this time.
See also
- Registry
- Owner-And-History-Research-Toolchain
- _Tier1-Non-Service-Local-Businesses